Staff inspired by terrific speakers

Great speakers helped inspire more than 500 staff when the Trust held its third annual Education Conference.

Wellbeing, leadership and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities were among the topics addressed during the event hosted by Waltham Toll Bar Academy.

Keynote speaker Andy Buck, an author and former headteacher and director of the National College, described it as "a brilliant day."

"The engagement from the staff, whether support staff, teachers or leaders has been amazing," he said.

"There is a sense of everyone wanting to keep getting better and learn. Sometimes you go to places and don't get that same sense I've had today. It has been an absolute joy."

In his keynote address, he told delegates he "fundamentally believed everyone was a leader."

"Whether you are a teaching assistant, teacher, middle leader, or senior leader, we are all responsible for bringing out the best in the people we are working with.

"We don't operate as islands; we operate in communities with people not machines. This is fundamental to the success of any school or Trust."

LGAT's Chief Executive Officer Martin Brown, in his introduction, said the Trust was lucky Andy and other high profile, national figures had agreed to speak.

A priority this year was to put students first.

"We have a uniquely responsible role in shaping the lives of young people," Martin said.

"At a time of great change in the world, we must remember that we have a duty to stay positive - despite how we may really feel.

"Young people need to be filled with hope - to be filled with dreams of what might be possible, to be filled with inspiration, to be filled with a love of learning and filled with passion for a subject, an interest or activity.

"We need to use our ability to influence young people to really create the change we want in society by using education to create the balanced, thoughtful, caring, principled, moral and compassionate students our society is going to need in the future."

Reflecting on the day, Mr Brown thanked Waltham Toll Bar Academy Executive Principal Phil Dickinson and his team for hosting the event.

"It has been a wonderful day with some great speakers. To have all the schools from the Trust together on the same site, listening to the same keynote speech was really valuable and made everyone feel they were part of one big family," said Martin.

"Just as we are telling our teachers they need to inspire children, we need to do the same. The reason we hold the Education Conference every year is to ensure we do inspire staff to do a really good job with those students.

"It is an important part of our culture in LGAT that staff collaborate with each other. Meeting colleagues today will help ensure that."

Phil said it had been a "fantastic day".

"It's been incredible to welcome so many staff over to Waltham Toll Bar Academy in what's been a thought-provoking CPD event," he said. "The Trust puts CPD at the forefront of everything we do in terms of our practice.

"To invite everyone to have a collective push has been really powerful. I think the staff have been truly inspired. The next part of the challenge is to put into place things we have learned from today."

Chair of the Trust Philip Bond said: "It has been a fantastic opportunity to bring the staff from the academies together.

"It's about encouraging the collaborative approach. If our schools are working more closely together it will benefit the children.

"There are very few Trusts that do this sort of event, involving all their staff. It will be a benefit to them and the children as well."

Speaker Andy Buck gives his keynote address at Lincolnshire Gateway Academy Trust's Education Conference.

Chair of the Trust Philip Bond addresses staff.

The Trust's Chief Executive Officer Martin Brown speaks to staff.

Host, Executive Principal Phil Dickinson, welcomes delegates at Waltham Toll Bar Academy.

Wellbeing was the focus of Patrick Ottley O'Connor's presentation.

Director of Children's Services at North East Lincolnshire Council Ann-Marie Matson who stressed the importance of partnership in a workshop.

Speaker Rachel Johnson, CEO of PiXL, spoke passionately about creating a sense of belonging.

Leadership mentor John Murphy who spoke on behaviour management and authentic leadership.

Crowd and Opening

Crowd and Opening